1
as in destroys
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
developers demolished the old warehouse to make room for the new shopping mall
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shatters
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
most of the buildings in the town had been demolished in the bombing raid
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in smashes
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
terrorists used a powerful pipe bomb to demolish the concrete wall around the compound
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Recent Examples of demolishes
The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.
—
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolishes
Verb
-
Unfortunately, as with alcohol, gambling also destroys lives.—
Jim Nowlan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
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Israel routinely destroys equipment meant for reconstruction; Human Rights Watch found that Israel had destroyed more than 360 heavy machines — bulldozers, excavators, and factories producing asphalt and cement — in four different attacks in south Lebanon.—
Justin Salhani,
The Dial,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The series, based on a novel by Araminta Hall, delves into a crime that shatters a long-standing friendship among the three lead characters.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
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The glass shatters with a spray that shimmers in the lantern light.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At one point, someone runs up behind the officer and smashes a snowball into the back of the cop’s head.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
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Flowers and debris go flying as the vehicle then smashes head-on into a tree.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There’s, in fact, a lot of narrative chaos in the movie’s last third, from a pyramid scheme that ruins Junyang’s professional ego to the fact that Lydia, once she’s given birth, is basically cut out of the picture.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Feb. 2026
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When fans see an exciting big hit, thinking about how the players might not know their own family members in 30 years ruins the fun.—
Eleanor M. Perfetto,
STAT,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The final whistle blows at Miami Stadium, yet the adrenaline is still high.—
Taylor Haught,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
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Pay special attention to soil moisture when the wind blows.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kyiv residents endure long daily blackouts as Russia devastates the power system, leaving tower block dwellers freezing in apartments with no heat or light.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
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Exacerbating the problem, unpredictable rainfall cycling between drought and floods further devastates the region.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
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In a film like this, you’re ostensibly meant to root against the terror that the central characters wrecks on his victims.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demolishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishes. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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